A New Kind of Strange
by loveandallthat
Summary: It's uncomfortable in unexpected and downright surprising ways when Aang lets Zuko join the group at the Western Air Temple, and they might have to face their own personal demons, and maybe help each other along the way as they work to create a peaceful new world. For Zukaang week 2013.
1. Foe

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 1: Foe**

A/N: I really wanted to create a new and interesting AU or use the one I started last Zukaang week, but I didn't have the time to work on it, so I had to just stick to canon. I hope this can still be an enjoyable read. I also really wanted to do a long story instead of a bunch of oneshots. This way I get to start with friendship and move to more, gradually. Happy Zukaang week day one!

* * *

The first week after Zuko officially joins their group, Aang feels like he's going insane.

Well, the first few days are okay. Zuko's mannerisms are so awkward and clearly uncomfortable that Aang is constantly reminded of the fact that, yes, Zuko is a new guest there, and someone who seemingly does not fit in and shouldn't be there. So the fact that he's let Zuko into their group is always at the forefront of his mind. Of course, Katara is constantly thinking of this; she does not need any reminders. Sokka adjusts surprisingly well to new situations, his comedic personality allowing him to turn the whole situation into an awkward joke, and he is glad to have a target for some of his new material. Toph is also pretty tough, and likes to help Sokka make fun of Zuko (teasing someone is, of course, the ideal punishment when they have tried multiple times to capture you or people you love).

It seems like it can only get better with time, but that proves wrong. As soon as Zuko starts to be more comfortable around everyone, he starts to act like his old self. He walks more confidently, the way he always has when he was hunting them, and he speaks more loudly, gesturing with his hands. He practices firebending, a safe distance away but still visible.

His new level of comfort is what throws Aang off. Not consciously. Aang is a kind-hearted person who wants nothing more than for everyone to get along famously.

One day for lunch, because they have run out of meat, Katara makes Aang's favorite vegetable stew. He is running excitedly towards it from the other end of the temple at a speed only an airbender can dream of. When he gets close, suddenly Zuko moves out from the shadows of the main room, and Aang reacts without thinking, sending a powerful gust of air in his direction without a hesitation. Katara drops the ladle she was using to serve; everyone else just drops their jaws. Secretly, Katara is a little pleased that Zuko is receiving more of Aang's attacks, but he is horrified at himself.

"Sorry!" is the first thing he can possibly say, as Zuko rights himself enough to painfully stand up. Maybe he's okay being around here, but certainly not enough to tell Aang off and risk being told to leave.

"What was that for?" he asks instead, his voice surprisingly calm with only the barest amount of indigence. Aang holds up his hands in front of himself apologetically.

"I just was… surprised. When you came around the corner like that. I couldn't see you, and I didn't know anybody would be there… I'm sorry." The excuse even sounds gratingly fake; Aang is an awful liar, and his nervousness at the situation is not helping in the slightest.

"And as a peaceful monk your first instinct was to attack the cause of your surprise."

"Um… yes?" Aang is trying so hard not to admit the truth that Zuko just pretends to give him the benefit of the doubt to not crush his spirit. This effort is noticed by everyone else in the vicinity, especially Toph, who only avoids saying something because she thinks it will play out more interestingly if she refrains. (And, as often happens, she is right.)

"Okay," Zuko says, and that's that.

The rest of the week goes in much the same manner. Aang gets to the point where instead of actually attacking Zuko, he just moves into position, and then tries to play it off as stretching, or jumping, or running, anything that he can possibly do to make it seem like he was not just about to incapacitate Zuko with one surprise attack. And Zuko, for his part, just sits back and lets it happen. The rest of the group is completely used to this routine, letting it go on for their own individual pleasures, whether humorous or hopeful of actual violence.

But unsurprisingly Zuko is the first one to tire of it, and eventually the feeling is so strong that he is even tempted to confront Aang. Alone.

He walks up to him when he is (relatively) alone, brushing Appa's fur. It has never occurred to them that this would be necessary; Appa seems to be mostly self-sufficient. Maybe it's just the kind of gesture of kindness toward animals that reminds them that they are pets more than convenient flying vehicles. Either way, for Zuko, it is an opportunity to strike.

Since no one else is around, as a slightly vengeful gesture, he walks up to Aang in a sort of fighting stance, and it works as planned. Aang immediately grabs his staff from his back and brings it down in one fluid motion, sending a powerful blast that would have taken most enemies down, but Zuko is used to fighting Aang, and he is prepared. He dodges, and then smirks slightly when Aang realizes again what he is doing.

"What's up?" he asks, forced-casually, as though he did not just attack someone, and has been brushing his pet the whole time.

"Not much," Zuko answers, wanting to force as much casualness into the conversation as possible, but also with no desire to draw it out. "Could you maybe stop attacking me every time you see me?"

"You, uh. You noticed that, did you?"

"A bit, yeah."

"Heh. It's just. I'm sorry! I'm not used to having you around. Before, whenever there was an enemy that I was worried about, it was you. You were in my subconscious, my nightmares. It's so easy to see you and think of the guy who was chasing us around during our whole journey, the guy we always ran from or attacked. I can't get used to you being here, where we're supposed to feel safe. It doesn't work, and I wish it did, and I'm sorry,"

Zuko cuts Aang off mid-rant, by putting his hand on his shoulder. It is such a sudden, foreign, friendly gesture that Aang just lets it happen without even noticing that it could be odd. It brings his attention to Zuko, and they are looking right at each other when he speaks.

"It's okay," he says firmly, as though trying to get this through his head. "Just stop worrying so much! If you calm down, it'll stop happening. Meditate; I bet you're good at it. You were right a long time ago. We can be friends." And if there is a surefire trick that can be done to make someone calm down, it would be to compliment them and tell them that they were right. So Aang does, a little.

Zuko leaves after that, the touchy-feely actions becoming too much for him quickly. Aang's shoulder feels weird where his hand used to be, so he replaces it with his own, curiously. It is not the same.


	2. Memories

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 2: Memories**

A/N: Happy day two, fellow Zukaang week-ers! I'm pretty busy, but I really want to participate, so I'm cranking these chapters out in a few hours every day. Don't be afraid to let me know if you catch any mistakes.

* * *

For Zuko, Ember Island is a place for nostalgia. He recounts all sorts of stories from his childhood, Azula terrorizing him and exploiting the fact that she's there with her two pretty friends who make Zuko uncomfortable. Sharing these kinds of memories seems to make the people around him more accepting of him, more used to him as a real person and not the guy who haunted them and chased them across the world.

And after seeing the light, he wants to be thought of as anything but that.

So if telling them about the times that Azula tried to put him and Mai in horribly compromising situations, all the suggestions of games where they needed equal teams, and the decisions that he was the perfect test subject for Ty Lee as she learned to block chi could make them all get along faster, well, he was going to try it. And it worked. It made him feel awkward, open, uncomfortable, and it seemed to have a strangely similar effect on Aang, but everyone else warmed up pretty quickly.

Things have gotten less awkward since Zuko and Aang met the Sun Warriors and the dragons. Aang's discomfort with him had completely left and he was willing to learn firebending from Zuko, even surprising him with friendliness and an astonishingly optimistic attitude. It was pretty rare to find personality that in the royal palace of the Fire Nation.

The trip had a huge effect on how Zuko viewed Aang. Before he was just a target. Like Iroh said, the Avatar gave Zuko hope. So it was actually an easy transition to go from what he used to feel to respect. All it took was getting to know Aang, who was actually quite an astonishing guy. Really, who could go from being constantly terrified of someone to acting like they've become best friends? Who in their right mind, out of seemingly nowhere, demands that Zuko dance with him? There is something so impressive to Zuko about Aang's resilience.

The difference between the ride to and from the Sun Warriors' land sums up how much the trip did for their friendship. Going there they were not even close to on the same page. Aang had finally started being his usual upbeat self around Zuko, who was unused to it and therefore acted put off. But after going through something as terrifying and magical as meeting the two last surviving dragons and learning their style of firebending, it was completely different. It put him and Aang on the same page for their bending, which seemed to help them find common ground in other areas.

It almost brought Zuko back to his younger days, how he felt when his mother was still around. He had been happy then. Well, comparatively speaking. So the Avatar's cheerful demeanor reminded him that he also had that potential in him.

So, on the ride back, there was an unfamiliar optimism and energy to their conversation.

"I think this new source could even make my bending better!" Zuko said, uncharacteristically excited since joining the group.

"Toph was right about drawing bending from original sources," Aang added, "Maybe I really can learn about airbending from Appa."

"I already felt stronger the first time I tried the dragons' firebending."

"I bet I get even stronger than you do! I'm starting out learning like this." Aang sounded mostly thoughtful, but there is a noticeable hint of teasing.

"But I already have all of the knowledge, so I just have to apply what I learned. I say I'm stronger."

"I'm the Avatar."

"I… _was_ the prince of the Fire Nation."

"I'm only twelve; you have four years on me!"

"Technically you're one hundred and twelve," Zuko pointed out, but it is no longer to further his point in the argument. He had honestly forgotten the age difference between the Avatar and himself. Really he did not know if he had imagined himself younger or Aang older, or if his brain had just decided that age is no longer a necessary consideration of interpersonal relationships (and when children were the force behind the war, this might be true) but Zuko suddenly felt uncomfortably aware of their ages.

Aang laughed, though, and conceded the argument, saying maybe it was just a tie.

Zuko had been lucky for the break from seeing Aang and being forced to simultaneously remember his happy childhood self and his desperate Avatar-hunting past when he went on two person trips each with Sokka and Katara. And when being alone with Katara was preferred, he knew something was up. (OK, it was true that he now got along with Katara, and they saw eye to eye on many issues.)

But now, training Aang one on one on Ember Island… well, he had not prepared for this. Memories, memories, memories. Hey, remember when you went on family vacations? Remember when your mom was alive and you could be carefree like Aang? Remember when Azula was a total tyrant to all of the other kids your age, especially to you? Remember when you were a million times worse to the Avatar, and then he completely forgave you, and now trusts you unfailingly? Good times.

"Try the move one more time, but widen your stance just a little," Zuko finds himself saying, just to say something. Aang's stance was slightly narrow, but it had not seemed to throw him off.

"Sure thing, Sifu!"

"Stop… oh, forget it." He might as well give up on trying to get Aang to stop being himself. And actually, Zuko has never in his life known someone who completely embodied the phrase, "be yourself" and held nothing back.

"Sorry," Aang says, "I forgot you don't like it when I call you that."

Then, the bastard, he went on to perfectly execute the move and, feeling how well it had gone, try it a few more times, getting it exactly right each time.

"You really are the Avatar," Zuko breathes. If Sokka or Toph were here, they would mock Zuko for pointing out the obvious; Katara might even join in. But Aang takes it in stride, laughing, and even being slightly proud of himself.

"I really am," he agrees, still laughing. As though Zuko did not know that when he finally found Aang after scouring the globe. As though he was not the only person who could use all four elements.

"Alright," Zuko says, smiling a little. "I'm going to teach you a more advanced form." Aang cheers.

And when Aang is mastering the form, Zuko walking around and adjusting his positioning as needed, all awkwardness gone between them, they are no longer hunter and hunted, exiled prince and long lost Avatar. They are two friends, Zuko and Aang, Sifu Hotman and enthusiastic pupil.


	3. Spirits

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 3: Spirits**

A/N: I'm trying to get this out much earlier than usual! We'll see. Also I used the graphic novels for some after war stuff. Because I bought them. Even though I'm 20. Spoilers for those, though. Read them!

* * *

Aang is surprised that he is surprised that spirituality is the real way to defeat the Fire Lord. Yes, violence probably would have worked in theory; at the time of the final battle Aang clearly overpowered Ozai. But he clearly did not have the constitution to kill. Some might say that it was luck that made Aang run away and discover how to bend spirits, but Aang thinks it more obvious that it is all just the spirits at work, guiding the Avatar the best they can.

Surprisingly, Zuko tends to agree. After his revelation and subsequent decision to join Aang, he developed a strong appreciation for fate and higher powers, so he is someone who Aang feels he can come to when he needs to talk this out.

With the world in a state of confusion at the lack of threat of Fire Nation invasions, or the farther areas who have not heard the news still under their rule, there is a lot to take care of. Of course, now that they are friends, the new Fire Lord and the Avatar are the perfect people to take care of this.

Their friends, though still just as young as they are and with less reason to govern, are strong-minded and forceful, and have managed to secure themselves access to important meetings, but they have a lot that they want to take care of on their own.

It is a tough job. Nobody can figure out exactly how to repair the damage done, when the lands were all headed toward being Fire Nation but were still partly Earth Kingdom.

When Zuko asks Aang to kill him if he goes too far, Aang feels like he owes him that much. Kill Zuko, what is he thinking? And when push comes to shove, he cannot even let Zuko fall to his death, immediately needing to save him. After Zuko recuperates at Iroh's and they get to have a real talk, it becomes apparent that spirits are at play. They both have had the exact same nightmare of Aang killing Zuko, and Aang even says that since Roku is Zuko's grandfather and Aang's past life, it is almost like they are family. Related through reincarnation, through spirit. There is something inherently deep and beautiful about that.

"I knew somehow you wouldn't let me die," is what Zuko says, which clinches it for Aang. What else could possess someone to ask for a promise and know the other person cannot deliver if there is not something else at play?

They stick around long after Iroh goes to bed. Zuko has been asleep for four days after his near-death experience, and Aang is young enough to get so lost in conversation he loses track of time.

"How did you know I wouldn't let you die?" It has been confusing Aang for a while now, making him worry that his promises are worthless.

"Remember when I saved you, when Zhao had captured you?"

"Yeah, you wore that blue mask and fought with swords," Aang remembers, surprised he is bringing it up. They never talk about that.

"I was the Blue Spirit," Zuko says, with a bit of nostalgia.

"Nice," Aang comments, and Zuko feels a weird sense of accomplishment in impressing Aang.

"You didn't kill me, or leave me. You didn't even capture me. You saved me, waited until I was awake… and left. And you knew it was me."

"Even then, I did think we could be friends," Aang points out. Zuko laughs.

"Yeah, I guess you were smarter than I gave you credit for. Then and now." Zuko has an expression on his face like he is not used to sitting around reminiscing about old times. There is a strong feeling of camaraderie around them, and Zuko seems desperate to cling to it.

"We worked really well together that day." Aang's tone is thoughtful, and friendly as always.

"We really did," Zuko agrees quietly. Aang yawns. It has gotten extremely late while they have been talking, and as soon as their conversation had become easy and companionable they had started relaxing.

"I guess I'm more tired than I thought!" Aang laughs.

"Apparently. You can sleep here, if you want. We have an extra bed and I'll lend you something to sleep in. Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" Aang asks, and Zuko for some reason unknown to him, manages to take that sexually. As though Aang is going to suddenly ask for his underwear, or something. The thought makes him turn red, but he sticks to his original convictions just to avoid arousing suspicion.

"Anything! Our house is your house. You're family. Make yourself at home." The only thing that truly stops Zuko's babbling is running out of cliché prhases. Aang laughs good-naturedly, though, as if this is completely normal and not at all awkward.

"If I were mean, I'd look for the nicest clothes you have here and sleep in them, but I'd be happy with just any shirt and pants."

For most people, it can be really awkward going to bed around each other, even. Sleepovers seem like a good idea between friends, but there is always a question of how much to talk to each other before actually sleeping, whether or not to get ready at the same time or to stay up late enough to say good night if one person is ready to sleep and the other is not. Luckily, traveling together with almost nothing has basically killed that awkwardness between them, and they act with the motions of perfectly trained roommates, people who know a great level of detail regarding each other's sleep habits.

So Zuko lets Aang wash up first, and he waits patiently, having already given him some clothes that would probably fit him well enough to sleep. Aang comes out, telling Zuko the washroom is all his, and not saying anything else, which does not surprise Zuko. Neither does the fact that Aang is waiting in the room Zuko had pointed out when he is done. He passes Aang on the way to his own room, and hears Aang say goodnight as they both close their doors.

The next morning, Iroh convinces Aang to stick around for breakfast, and Zuko perversely feels like someone who brought a one night stand home to his parents' house, which makes no sense. Aang and Iroh jovially keep a conversation going the entire meal, rarely requiring acknowledgment from Zuko unless they were making fun of him and wanted him to react accordingly. It was so incredibly comfortable that all Zuko could think was how much he wanted to have more mornings like this, or how much better his life would have been if that was always how he woke up.

Soon, though, Aang has to go home to get ready for another meeting with the Earth King, which Zuko and the rest of their friends would all be attending. Zuko, with all his musings, can barely manage a quick goodbye and a handshake turned one armed hug, but Iroh of course manages to engulf Aang in a bear hug (extremely grateful that he saved Zuko's life and brought him to his uncle) and insist that he come back any time.

Every day Zuko is surprised how thankful he is for his uncle, but last night he also remembered how thankful he was for his best friend.


	4. Future

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 4: Future**

A/N: I thought it would be hard to do future in the middle and that maybe I'd have to change them around, but I figured it out! I've been skipping however much time I felt like, and that remains true. This will be a year after they defeated Ozai.

* * *

An up and coming architect designed a small building with six single bedroom apartments directly across from Iroh's new tea shop location near the Fire Nation palace. He was known for having ideas that many considered to be out there, but which actually turned out to be inspired. His plan for these, then, was that they could be used for young, enthusiastic people who want to try to get involved in some of the serious decision making at the heart of the new nation.

What he did not expect was for the Fire Lord to purchase the entire building, and allow his friends to stay there as needed. Pretty quickly one of them became Aangs, one for Katara, one for Sokka, and one for Toph, with two spares for any of their friends who happened through.

Zuko told all of them that they could have rooms in the palace itself, which was a generous offer, but they said they felt bad imposing like that. Toph pointed out that Zuko owned the apartments, too, but Zuko shushed her slightly and she, surprisingly, listened. Besides, he had used his father's money, to which he has been given access recently.

Often times when many of their friends come at once and do not all fit in the two remaining apartments, Aang convinces his friends (even Toph) to lend their apartments to them ,since they are all gone anyway. He is doing this, Zuko knows, some of their strange friends they have met on their travels make Zuko feel awkward, and so he appreciates the gesture.

Now that the one year anniversary of the end of the war is here, of course many of them have wanted to stay, and Aang has set them up in the building, putting himself and his friends back in the palace.

Aang feels a little awkward there, as one might expect. They are trying to move away from separation of nations, a little, while trying to maintain pride for heritages, which is a challenge. While they decide, though, Zuko has taken down most of the obviously Fire Nation décor, making the palace look surprisingly neutral. It still makes Aang feel horribly uncomfortable to be there, but it helps, a little.

His friends help too, whenever they can, but they seem to have had enough of the meetings that they fought to be allowed into, and have taken to doing a lot of hands-on work, which makes Aang a little jealous. He spent a year traveling around the world trying to bring as much peace as possible, and now he just sits around talking politics. Sometimes even arguing with people, which to him is even worse.

Recently, Aang and Zuko are on the same page, so they tend to have follow-up meetings where the two of them sneak out of the banquet hall where Zuko graciously allows the guests to eat Fire Nation fine dining for free. They usually end up at Iroh's tea shop, though he is rarely there since he prefers his original one in Ba Sing Se. The manager he hired knows the routine, though, and closes early on days like this.

Aang waits until his tea arrives before saying anything, and takes a sip when it is set down. Though not nearly as good as Iroh's, it is delicious, and warms him too his core. Zuko waits patiently, as though knowing that Aang plans to speak first.

"I don't know how we're going to convince anybody that the best idea is a new system," Aang confesses; it sounds like something he has been thinking for a while. Zuko nods to indicate that he heard, and sips his tea while he thinks. Aang waits.

"Well it definitely didn't work in the past," Zuko points out, and Aang laughs.

"I think you and I are both proof that it isn't smart to live in the past."

"Especially you," Zuko says softly, and Aang is touched. A while ago Zuko was so self-involved that he probably would have said that he was the one most living in the past, not realizing that Aang's entire former life was completely, one hundred years over. There is a companionable silence before Aang speaks again.

"That's what we have to say," he says slowly, thinking as he speaks. "We know that neither way that they tried in the past can work forever, so we have to stop thinking about the past. We have to look at the way the world currently is, and then look to the future."

"You might be onto something," Zuko says, "but it'll still be hard to sell."

"We want something with the potential to last hundreds of years. We have to start with what we have and think of something that will work years in the future. Because you're right. The old ideas don't work."

"I know you're right, but I don't think we can convince any of the other leaders of this unless we actually come up with something that would accomplish this." Zuko sighs. "And I definitely don't have any ideas."

"Hm. Well, Katara went back home to the Southern Water Tribe, Toph went to the Earth Kingdom to teach metalbending, and Sokka is with Suki, Ty Lee, and the Kyoshi Warriors… I'd bet they all have a lot of insight about what's going on there."

"Why didn't you go with Katara?" Zuko asks suddenly, derailing Aang's train of thought.

Aang laughs awkwardly. "I guess I should have known you'd wonder that. I just… knew she needed to be home, so I insisted she go. But… I wanted to be here."

"For what?" Zuko asks, leaning forward slightly as Aang gets quieter with the awkward questions. They are too close for casual conversation, and neither seems to notice. "You aren't exactly the political type."

"I just felt kind of like I had to stay here. To help with the discussions, and… to help you deal with everything."

This is news to Zuko, who had honestly never quite known why Aang had stuck around for so long. It is strange to him to think that he could be part of it, but it explains a lot.

"You didn't have to do that, Aang," he says, suddenly feeling awkward, and a little pleased.

"I wanted to," Aang insists, and Zuko believes it. "Hey, Zuko… where's Mai?"

Really he should have seen that coming. "She went back to visit her family in the colonies last month, and found a reason to stay longer. Apparently they really needed her around there."

"Yeah, Katara was probably needed at home, too. She was probably the strongest fighter there. The strongest person there," he adds, which Zuko thinks is probably true also.

"Yeah, best boyfriends ever, that's us," Zuko says, with a hint of melancholy.

"Honestly I don't know if I really am her boyfriend," Aang sighs. "Sure we kissed, but then she decided she couldn't stick around and needed to leave."

"Yeah, I don't know if Mai saying I should never break up with her again counts as us dating, since she left me this time."

"She told you not to break up with her?" Aang tries not to laugh.

"When you put it like that it makes her sound controlling, but I swear she wasn't!"

"Sure, sure."

"She wasn't!"

"I'm just messing with you. Hey, since she's in a colony, do you think she'd have something to say about our plans?" Aang asks.

"Yeah, probably. I mean, her dad used to be a governor. You almost can't help developing opinions in that kind of situation." All of a sudden, Zuko's suspicious. "What are you planning?"

Aang smiles guiltily, caught. "I think I'm going to have to leave. If we want to do what's best for the world, we have to learn a little more about it first. I think I'm going to visit our friends, and some of the towns on the way. One of us has to do it, and I really think that the Fire Lord needs to stay here."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"Aw, did you want to come with me?" Aang jokes.

"Yes," Zuko answers honestly, ignoring the teasing.

"I wouldn't stop you," Aang says softly, "but I don't really think you want to."

"I really do need to stay here. You're right. Come back soon, though. It'll be weird without you here."

"Yeah, I think I might miss you too,"

"Don't sound so shocked," Zuko says. Aang laughs.

"We might as well start this as soon as possible, so I'll leave tomorrow morning," Aang decides, and Zuko knows that is the smart thing to do, but he does not like it.

"Stop by the palace; I'll have someone set you up with some supplies," Zuko offers. "I'd be there myself, but there's another meeting that I'll be dealing with… without you."

"Thank you."

"I guess you probably want to leave so you can sleep before your journey," Zuko says, standing to put the teacups in the kitchen to be washed.

"I probably should," Aang agrees, lingering by the door. Zuko goes over to see him out, and Aang surprises him with a hug. "I'll be back in less than a year," he promises.

"What will I do while you're gone?" Zuko wonders aloud.

"Be great, as always," Aang says, pulling away finally, though he could have stayed much longer. Zuko appears to think the same, but lets him leave.

"Sure," Zuko says, after Aang is gone. "I'll just be great as always."


	5. Separation

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 5: Separation**

A/N: Sorry I'm not sorry I accidentally put Tokka hints. I can't help it. Also what the fuck since when does this story have plot?

* * *

Aang learns even more than he expects when he travels, and he is surprised that it was such a good idea, even though it was his, or maybe especially because it was his.

Kyoshi Island was a strong warrior village before it was attacked, and it returned to its former glory quite quickly and efficiently, so Aang had to know about that. Suki was more than happy to fill him in, with Sokka and Ty Lee offering occasional insight as well.

"It's because they put up a united front!" Sokka said, interrupting Suki saying pretty much the same thing. He has his arm around Aang, still, having been exceedingly excited to see him. Aang is pleasantly surprised. Of course he expected a warm welcome, but it has been such a long time since he has seen Sokka that he almost forgot how good-natured he was and why they got along. "The whole town just immediately joined together the instant the Fire Nation left with us, and they fixed all the damage and came back stronger than ever!" Everything Sokka says has the tendency to sound like a well-practiced inspirational speech. Aang finds that he admires that.

"I was a little bit worried that the only reason we were such a close community was because we were so strong," Suki says, once she has verified that Sokka is done talking, "but I was really glad to learn that we could all come together in times of hardship, too."

Aang smiles, genuinely thrilled for their little island's prosperity. "Why do you think that is?" he asks.

"Are you trying to use us as an example?" Suki asks, slightly proud.

"Maybe a little."

"I think being separated on an island sort of gave us an us-against-the-world mentality. I'm not saying that's good, but it was all we had uniting us. That's probably not the best way to unite the whole world, though," Suki jokes, "because that would lack a common enemy to unite against."

"I'm sorry," Ty Lee interjects, "but I think you might be a little off." She and Suki get along relatively well, so Sokka and Suki are surprised that she would disagree like this. "I mean, I think you're right that it's because you're separated on this little island, but I don't think you needed the common foe. I just think that you all got to know each other so well, and once you understand people, you want the same for them as you do for yourself."

"That's all well and good," Sokka says, "but I don't think we can make everyone in the world get to know each other."

"Maybe we don't have to," Aang says, looking at everyone and smiling. "We just need to get them to understand that people in the other nations have goals just like theirs. Like I did with the Gan Jins and the Zhangs!"

"Didn't you just make up a story to get them to stop being mad at each other?" Sokka asks.

"Sh!" Aang hisses, as Suki and Ty Lee laugh at this new information. "I won't do it exactly like that! But you have to admit, in the end, they understood each other and helped each other out. Everyone kept laughing, though, and eventually Aang joined in. It was really great to see his friends again, that was for sure.

He leaves a few days later, hoping the island will continue its prosperity while he is gone. As he tries to leave, though, Sokka comes running out of the house, with a bag packed.

"Are you coming with me?" Aang asks, trying not to get his hopes up too high.

"Of course! I can't let you go on this adventure alone," Sokka says.

"What about Suki?"

"I left her a note."

"No, no, no! You have to go wake her up and tell her!" Aang insists, accidentally using his forceful Avatar voice. He is remembering what happened with Zuko and Mai, which adds a little bit of urgency to his tone. Sokka runs back inside without asking further questions.

When he comes back out ten minutes later, he looks at Aang. "Okay, you were definitely right."

* * *

The two of them stop at a few towns before they reach Toph, but all they learn is what kinds of political unrest still remain. It is useful information, but they are certainly not finding any actual examples of good ideas, only clear reasons why going back to the old system cannot work.

When they finally see Toph and she immediately punches and then hugs Sokka, and then Aang, almost as an afterthought, Aang feels a little awkward. He keeps his suspicions about Toph's crush to himself, though, and even if Toph can tell how he is feeling in this moment, she is unlikely to call him on it.

"Sokka, Twinkletoes, it's been much too long," she says, directing them into a large, open building. "Welcome back to my metalbending school!"

A lot of improvements have clearly been made since the last time they were there, and it really looked like a gym.

"My classes became surprisingly popular, so I got the money to make this place nice," Toph explains, as though reading their minds. "I live upstairs."

She started walking up, and it seemed like they should follow, so they did. They were impressed when she served them tea using only earthbending.

"It must have been a while since you've seen me if you're impressed by that," Toph says thoughtfully, and Aang has to agree that it has. "What brings you here?"

"I guess I'm looking to try to figure out what to do for everyone now that the war has finally ended," Aang says; it sounds stupid when he says it out loud, but Toph does not comment. "I figured that I should make sure to ask all of the people who I trust most, and who have traveled with me."

"I'm honored that you chose me," Toph says, half-jokingly. "Did you try strong leadership and harsh rules?"

"Um, no, but the Fire Nation did," Aang points out.

"True," Toph cedes, "but I think I'm a little different than the Fire Lord.

"Of course!" Sokka says diplomatically, making Aang think that maybe he needs him on his side.

"There is something to that, though," Aang surprises himself by saying. "Strong leadership led the Fire Nation to quite a lot of power and strength. It was only when power went to their heads that it went wrong."

"Also true," Sokka agrees fairly.

"So… I am helping?" Toph asks.

"Definitely," Aang says quickly. "You'd be helping even more if I could watch one of your classes in action, though!"

"How about you join in?" Toph suggests, and Aang nods. "Good, we have one tomorrow. You guys can sleep in the living room, if you want. It's not much, but we're used to less."

The next morning, Toph woke them up earlier than Sokka would have liked, and very loudly. Aang was unsurprised. "Make your own breakfast," she said as a way of greeting. Aang had no idea how to cook, so he ate some fruit, and Sokka fried up all of the meat in the house, but Toph snatched half of it away with a quick thank you.

"I should keep you around if you cook like this every morning," she says happily, and Sokka laughs. Aang feels awkward again and changes the subject.

"What kind of class are you teaching today?"

"Don't worry, Twinkletoes, it's just the beginners. Maybe you'll even be able to follow along.

Aang can follow along; Toph actually does a very detailed and clear description of the theory behind it, but he just cannot manage to actually bend metal.

"Maybe the Avatar can't do any special bending techniques with the other elements," Sokka says with his mouth full. Aang wonders where he keeps getting all this food.

"Well, whatever," Toph says. She turns to Aang. "Did you learn anything?" It sounds like she's kidding, a little.

"Actually, a lot. I mean, maybe you were a little… loud." At this Toph laughs boisterously. "But you have a good combination of strict and friendly leadership that makes people want to listen to you, but still focus and learn what they're supposed to." Toph scoffs at this.

"It's true," Sokka says, from his seating place on the floor. "There's something about you that makes people want to listen."

"Really?" she asks, and Aang wants to be affronted that she believes Sokka over him, but of course he is not.

"Anyway…" Aang starts, "I think we have to leave today. I told Zuko I'd be back in less than a year, and I've been gone a few months now. I still have to go to the Southern Water Tribe to see Katara, make some stop along the way, and go back to the ex-Fire Nation colony where Mai lives."

"Yeah, why didn't our good Fire Lord come with you?" Toph asks Aang.

"Well someone had to stay and hold down the fort," Aang explains. "It made more sense for it to be him. I have a flying bison, he doesn't, he's the Fire Lord, I'm not…"

"Sure…" Toph says. "It doesn't matter. If you're going to see Katara, can I come with?"

"You want to?" Aang asks, surprised. "We'd be traveling on Appa the whole time and only touching ground in a few towns on real land before we ended up just walking on ice at the end." Toph starts to respond, but Sokka interrupts.

"She's not worried about that! Plus, I promise that when we get home, I'll make sure she's fine the whole time. I'll never let her out of my sight," Sokka promises.

If Toph looked at all like she was hesitant at first, any of that had suddenly disappeared off her face. "Yes I'm sure," she says firmly. "But could someone write a note saying that my classes are cancelled until further notice?"

* * *

The towns they visit as they move south seem to get less and less put together as they get farther south, which is interesting. Any place that had been converted into a colony actually did a pretty good job getting back on their feet, and some of the less governed areas were doing better. Aang has no idea what to make of that yet, but he decides to remember it.

All three of them wish that they could do something more for each place they visit than just coming in and helping with easy tasks for a few days, but they know it will be more helpful if they make new rules for the whole world. It is a lot to think about, and a lot of responsibility, but they feel up to it.

Eventually, they do make it to the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka becoming especially excited and Aang and Toph slightly nervous. Aang is unsure of what it will be like to see Katara. Toph is plenty excited for that, but not happy that she is about to spend several days without feeling land. Hell, she will even have to wear shoes, and she is definitely not happy about that. She will not even have a way to sort of feel around with her feet.

They land, and Katara seems to sense their presence, because she is the first one out of an igloo to see them.

"Aang! Sokka! Toph!" she yells, and runs over. Aang notices that she hugs each of them for the exact same amount of time. Should he be glad that she is not mad at him, or wish that she had hugged him longer? He goes with the happier option. Apparently they plan to pretend nothing happened, which might work.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asks, so Aang launches into his entire spiel, Toph and Sokka commenting when they see fit. Katara listens with rapt attention, seeming just as into the project as the rest of them, and Aang feels a profound sense of love for all of his friends.

"Well of course our tribe was greatly helped by the Northern Water Tribe. We wouldn't be even close to where we are now without their help. We'd just be the same little unit struggling to get by."

"Why do you think they did all of that?" Aang asks, honestly unsure of the answer.

"Water tribe helps water tribe," Sokka says.

"Kind of makes you think that complete unification is a bad idea," Toph adds. She is grabbing Sokka and Aang's arms on each side of her to keep herself balanced while on the ice.

"Unfortunately, yes," Aang says. "I wish there was a way to both unify everyone and keep them separate and let them have their own national pride."

"Couldn't you just unify everyone, but not set any rules that they can't be proud of their heritage?" Katara asks. "That way if their nations really matter to them, they'll still keep respecting that, but if they don't, that's fine too?"

"That sounds really, really smart," Aang says, "I just worry it's too easy and the answer should be something more complicated."

"Maybe that's the right direction to take it, though," Sokka suggests.

"That could be," Aang concedes.

"We'll talk about it more later," Katara says. "Let's go tell everyone you're here!"

Katara takes them around. Bato happens to be there, as well as Hakoda, Gran-Gran and Pakku, all of whom are glad to see everyone. Political discussions happen with members of the North and South Tribes, and Aang gets a lot more insight into the way that they function. They eat traditional Water Tribe food (Aang warns Toph which ones to especially stay away from) and they catch up with Katara. Everyone insists that she is an integral part of the restoration of the tribe, and nobody doubts that for a second, even when Katara tries to be modest.

"So I guess that means you're not coming with us to the palace," Aang says quietly, so only Katara (and Toph) hear him.

"Come on," she says to Aang. She excuses herself from the table, putting her and Aang's dishes away to be cleaned, and drags him to her own home, which is currently empty.

"I think you already can tell that I have to stay here, Aang," she says.

"I know," he answers, and he does.

"The Southern Water Tribe needs me much more than the politicians in the Fire Nation do."

"Do they need you more than I do?" Aang asks.

"I think maybe you don't need me at all," Katara replies gently. She is right, Aang knows it, but it still makes him tear up a little.

"Maybe," he admits sadly. "And you don't need me."

"Maybe not." Katara's sad smile matches Aang's. "I need you as a friend though," she adds, and Aang laughs.

"Yeah, same here," he says, and then he is pulled into a tight hug.

They leave after a few more days of the same thing. Sokka is the most resistant, but even he knows when they have to leave. It is considerably harder to leave here, when Katara is staying, and it gets worse when Toph says that it would be nice if they could drop her off back home, too, so that she could get back to teaching her classes. It is not too bad of a detour, so they do it without even a token complaint, but Aang is immensely sad to see her leave too.

"You don't want to go back to Kyoshi Island?" Aang asks Sokka as they fly away from Toph's gym.

"Nah, they'll be fine without me. I think I really am needed at the Fire Nation palace," he answers. Aang thinks he might be right. Sokka is more innovative than all of the other leaders there put together.

So they fly to their last stop, the ex-colony formerly known as New Ozai, to visit a gloomy girl named Mai.

* * *

Mai is, to say the least, surprised to see the Avatar and his goofy friend. She recovers astonishingly quickly, though, and turns right to Sokka.

"You're the one who was at the Boiling Rock with Zuko," she accuses.

"Um, well, yes." Sokka is not sure what he is admitting to, but he does not feel like he can lie in this situation.

"Well, thanks for sticking by him, I guess. You too, Avatar."

Sokka breathes a sigh of relief.

"My pleasure," Aang says happily. He is really glad to see that Mai is a good person.

"Well, not to be rude or anything, but… why are you here?" Mai asks. Aang delivers his pitch, but makes sure to work Zuko into the conversation much more than he has the last few times. Mai listens, but seems more bored than any of the others have so far.

"New Ozai was an extremely prosperous colony," Mai starts, getting right into the answer as if it takes a lot of effort to draw things out. "So once the city was taken back by the Earth Kingdom, we just kind of continued on with the same structure, but less corruption. I guess they merged the best things that the Fire Nation brought with all of the old ways. It's all very… organized."

"That's… really helpful, actually," Aang says. "Thank you."

"Well, since I helped you…" Mai says, and then suddenly has grabbed Aang's arm and dragged him into her house to talk in private. Momo flies off of Aang's shoulder and lands on Sokka's.

"I guess it's just you, me, and Appa," Sokka laments, leaning back onto the sky bison, who growls in apparent agreement.

Aang comes back out about ten minutes later, and Mai follows. "You guys can stay for dinner and sleep in our guest rooms tonight," she offers, and then walks off, expecting them to follow. They do.

"What was that about?" Sokka whispers to Aang.

"Don't worry about it," he answers.

"Zuko?"

"Maybe."

Aang and Sokka both admit that the food from the colony is the best they have had on their journey, by far. Clearly something is going right here, in a place that used to be under Fire Nation control. They stay the night in the nicest beds they have slept in for months, and leave in the morning, thanking Mai for her kindness and hospitality. They neglect to mention that this side of her is quite a surprise to them.

Mai hands Aang an envelope, and Aang nods seriously, tucking it away where it will be safe. Sokka manages to keep quiet, though he is desperate to ask what the big secret is.

"Thank you, and good luck, Avatar," Mai says, and then they are off.

* * *

If there is a hell, Zuko thinks, it is an endless series of meetings.

Aang has been gone for eight months, and already Zuko is going crazy. He never even realized how much he needed Aang in order to get through those meetings with his sanity intact, but he sure as hell does. There has not been any progress since he left; all they do is talk in circles for hours on end. Zuko dragged Iroh back to the palace to have someone to eat with whose head he did not want to rip off.

He has trouble sleeping, too. His uncle keeps giving him calming herbal teas, has to make them for him every night for him to even have a chance at rest. He feels like a child again. It feels like he ended up back in the time when he thought he needed to capture the Avatar to restore his honor, and his uncle was the only one who would stand by him. The feeling was terrible.

He storms out of a meeting, too angry and frustrated to stay for any longer. He is tired of all of the old former leaders telling him his ideas are childish and idealistic when their ideas were tried and proven ineffective. He stomps his way toward Iroh's shop, but is stopped. By the landing of a sky bison. Suddenly, someone jumps gracefully off of its back, and there is only one person that could be. Someone not due back for another four months, and yet missed like crazy.

"Aang?"


	6. Masks

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 6: Masks**

A/N: I felt the need to do metaphorical masks, cheesy as they may be. (This is the chapter where I pretend really hard that I don't ship Zukka. Did I fool you?) Anyway, Aang is still 14 and Zuko is 18, so let's remember that when they don't have sex.

* * *

"Aang?" Zuko repeats, still astonished to see him, on the worst day since he has left.

"Sokka's here too," Aang says. It is not an answer. Zuko did not really need one.

"Hi," Sokka says, as he manages to climb down off Appa. He claps Zuko on the shoulder. "Good to see you, buddy."

"Good to see you too," Zuko replies automatically. And it is, but the words still sound fake to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Me, or Aang?" Sokka half-jokes.

"Both, I guess."

"Well Aang managed to get his trip done in a pretty short time – I guess he thought he might be needed back here – and he let me come with him, because I really wanted to help." It really is quite awkward, the fact that Sokka has to do all the talking while Zuko and Aang just stand there staring at each other. Luckily, Sokka does not have a problem filling the silence, but of course Zuko has no intentions of making it easy to make this any less uncomfortable.

"Oh, you thought I needed your help," he accuses.

"No!" Aang shouts, and then catches himself. He starts again, with less volume. "We don't think you need our help. We just want to give it to you." But Zuko is seeing this thing through.

"You thought I wouldn't be able to handle myself while I was gone, so you came back early. And you brought along backup!" Zuko recognizes that he is being ridiculous. He really did need them here. But suddenly he feels incredibly embarrassed by that fact, older than both of them and unable to hold himself together.

"Don't be ridiculous," Aang says, almost warningly.

"And now I'm ridiculous, great," Zuko mumbles, some of the fight leaving him.

"Technically he didn't say that," Sokka points out. "He just suggested that you not do that. Sorry, sorry, poorly placed joke!"

"Whatever," Zuko sighs, giving up. "Let's just go to the palace."

He walks them past their rooms. Sokka immediately goes for his own room, but Aang keeps going, and follows Zuko to his room instead.

"What's up?" he asks Zuko, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, you know, just came from a meeting," Zuko says, forcing casualness.

"How was it?"

"Good, good. You know, just any old normal meeting. How were your travels?"

"Oh, yeah, great! I learned a lot. I think I'm really getting close to an answer," Aang says. It is barely a lie. He did learn a lot, and he is closer to an answer than he was before he left, but the added information really only served to confuse him more.

"That's good. Maybe we'll have an answer soon and can stop meeting every other day and do it every week instead." Zuko's mind is anywhere but on this conversation, which is painfully forced anyway.

"I, um. Sort of have a note for you. From Mai," Aang says, pulling it out and handing it over. Zuko takes it automatically, but it takes a few seconds before he registers what Aang has just said. "Do you want me to leave while you read it?"

Suddenly that sounds like the worst thing in the world. "No, you can stay. It's fine. Do you… know what this might say?"

"I mean… I was there when she wrote it, and we talked a little bit, but I still only have guesses."

"One way to find out, I guess." Zuko tears open the envelope and pulls out the letter. Written in Mai's neat handwriting is a short message.

_Zuko,_

_I love you, but maybe we should take a break._

_Mai_

"That's it?" Zuko says, dumbfounded. Aang is still confused, so Zuko hands the letter back to him.

"It's… very to the point," Aang says thoughtfully.

"Do you think this is payback for the note I wrote her?" Zuko asks.

"I don't think so," Aang answers, cautious of Zuko's feelings. "She didn't seem mad or bitter when I talked to her. Maybe this is just… all she had to say."

That sounded like Mai. "Maybe." Zuko only seems partially convinced. Something about being dumped puts everything in perspective, reminds Zuko that life is short and it would be a waste to go through it posturing.

"I lied," he confesses suddenly.

"To Mai?" Aang asks, confused.

"To you. A few minutes ago. When I said that everything was good while you were gone, I lied. It was actually awful. There was no progress at any of our meetings, I had trouble sleeping, and I even made Iroh come here from Ba Sing Se just to keep me company."

Aang is floored. This is the last thing he expected to hear when he got back. "If I had known it would be like this I wouldn't have gone." This is about all he can think to say.

"I might not have let you," Zuko admits.

They are entering dangerous territory. They both know it. They have been down this road before, where everything starts getting a little too personal, but something is always there to stop it. It had gotten to an all time high the night before Aang left, but neither of them had let themselves get caught up in it.

Today feels different. Zuko slowly moves himself so that he can sit on his bed, leaving a lot of room. He looks at Aang, challengingly, and Aang accepts, walking over and sitting next to him.

"I'm sorry that it was so bad while I was gone," Aang says quietly, hyper-aware that Zuko is plenty close enough to hear him.

"It's okay," Zuko whispers. "It was a good idea."

"Katara and I are officially over," Aang says. It is the kind of thing that might sound random to someone who has no way to see that their faces are a few inches away from each other.

"Is that so?" Zuko asks. He puts his hand on Aang's shoulder, but pauses. Being four years older than Aang makes him a little afraid that it would be suspect if he made the first move. So he waits patiently.

Aang does not hesitate any longer. He puts a hand on Zuko's face, leans in smoothly and closes the distance.

It surprises Zuko, and he almost pulls back, but the contact of their lips is enough to keep him anchored there. He kisses Aang with his mouth closed, gently and slowly, and Aang matches his rhythm easily. Kissing Aang is surprisingly natural, and when Aang smiles into the kiss, he pulls away to look at his face. Aang looks back at him and it causes him to smile too.

Then Aang wrapped his arms around Zuko's neck and kissed him harder, even being bold enough to run his tongue along Zuko's bottom lip. Zuko's tongue quickly meets it, but then he is using his hands on Aang's hips (and when did they end up there?) to push him away gently.

"Maybe we should take it slow," he explains, "so that we know we're doing the right thing."

"I really think we are," Aang says, "but if that's what you want, it's fine."

They end up being lucky that they move away from each other, when Sokka decides it is time to barge in. He somehow manages to not sense that there was anything going on, and sits down next to them on the bed, as though he has an issue realizing there is no room left.

"Aang filling you in on our travels?" Sokka asks.

"Yeah, okay," Zuko agrees. "He was just getting to the part where you come in."

"Oh, perfect! I'll tell that part." And Sokka does, with incredible detail. Sitting around telling stories really does tire him out, though, and he leaves to go back to his room. Aang makes a big show of following him out, but then closes the door behind Sokka, and pulls Zuko to him by his collar.

"We have to talk about this," he says, and then gives Zuko a quick kiss that ends in a bite to his lip. As though there was any sort of question of what Aang meant they should talk about. Then Aang is out the door before Zuko can respond. He collapses backwards onto his bed, and lies awake for hours with the adrenaline.

Sokka is waiting in the hallway when Aang exits. He looks at Aang seriously. "Be careful," he warns mysteriously, then walks into his room.

Aang feels a sudden sense of foreboding.


	7. Friend

**A New Kind of Strange**

**Chapter 7: Friend**

A/N: I guess this chapter kind of feels like an epilogue, somehow.

* * *

"Today's the big day, huh, Aang?" Sokka asks, as the two of them walk over to get some lunch with Zuko.

"Finally!" Aang replies. "Are you excited? Nervous?" Sokka is more hyper-active than usual, sweating and shaking. So of course he lies.

"Ha! Why would I be nervous? Besides, you and Zuko are doing almost all of the presentation anyway. Are you nervous?"

"Of course," Aang answers. "But mostly just about how well our plans for the world will work, not about talking about them."

"Right. That's the only thing that would make me worry, too."

"Sure." Aang smiles, perfectly content to let Sokka keep this charade up, if that was what he wanted.

"Actually," Sokka starts, quietly. "Maybe I am just a little nervous. I mean, I have to present my part of your plan for the entire world. What if people hate it?"

They have been down this road before. Sokka has been unsure for a very long time about whether he wants to add his part of the plan for a new world to the speech.

"It's a really good idea," Aang insists. "I think that it would be a shame if Zuko or I had to talk about something that you came up with, but we can't just not add that. The plan isn't complete without it."

"You're right," Sokka says, feeling a little proud. "It is pretty important, isn't it?"

"It is one of the most important components of our plan," Aang responds honestly.

"Okay, yeah, I'll do it! Count on me!"

"I do," Aang says. "Will you still do the introduction, too?"

"Of course the Great Sokka will introduce the Avatar and the Fire Lord," Sokka replies, clearly placated. He holds the door to the palace open for Aang before the guard in front can get to it, and Aang laughs.

They find Zuko sitting in his room.

"Aren't there fancy Fire Lord rooms where you could just sit around all surrounded by fire?" Sokka asks, having seen one in a tour. He is, of course, unfamiliar with all of the things that Zuko has been through in rooms like that, when he was sitting across from his father being scolded or shamed.

"It still doesn't feel like I belong there," Zuko answers, more than Aang would have thought he would have said. In the few months of planning this announcement, Aang has been spending a lot of time at the palace with Zuko, and has ended up hearing many of his childhood stories. It leads him to believe even more that he was right to let Zuko join their group, and that maybe Zuko does deserve the not as much of a jerk as he could have been award.

"Well it better start feeling right soon, Fire Lord Zuko!" Sokka exclaims. Both Aang and Zuko want to comment that it is not that easy. That having a huge burden placed on you comes with a lot of baggage, and a lot of responsibility that is hard to handle. But maybe it is the celebratory day, or everything they have accomplished, that causes Sokka's easy words to actually sound true and viable.

Since they all are a little too nervous for a huge lunch, they just go for sandwiches and calming tea at Iroh's tea shop. Since he hears all of the information from Zuko, he is in town ready to hear the announcement. Aang and Zuko invited all of the important political figures and leaders, as well as all of their friends, but the public does not know what the announcement will be about, only rumors. Aang likes that it brings in only the people who truly care enough to listen whenever they decide to speak.

Of course they invite Iroh to sit at their table, and since he has finally found an intern who makes tea almost as well as he does, he does indeed join them. He sits there, drinking tea and eating much more healthily than Zuko has ever seen him, all the while with a big grin on his face, glancing between his three companions.

"What's got you so happy?" Zuko finally asks.

"I'm just so proud of all of you," Iroh answers, quietly. Though they would never admit it, Zuko, Aang, and Sokka are both still young enough that they want adults' approval, and it makes them happy enough that soon the whole table is full of smiles.

"Do you have any last minute advice?" Aang asks Iroh, always willing to listen to those wiser than he.

"I think that this is up to you, now. We need young people with new ideas, not ex-generals."

Aang expresses his disagreement, but Iroh will not have it. He smiles as he shoots down Aang's arguments, though.

"Well, I really think it's time that we all go practice our speeches," Sokka says authoritatively. They might have disagreed for the sake of pride, but Aang and Zuko really did also need the practice, so they just left, after making sure that Iroh promised that he would be at the announcement. Aang and Sokka shook his hand, and Zuko hugged him (while Sokka teased him good-naturedly in the background.)

"You will all be great," Iroh assures them, and Aang thinks to himself that it sounds like he means more than just about the speeches they are about to give.

Sokka goes to practice in the garden, insisting that if he is going to be delivering a speech outdoors it only makes sense to practice it outdoors. Seeing as that spot is taken, Aang and Zuko head to the bedrooms of the palace, figuring that while practicing, privacy is the most important.

Or at least Aang is thinking that, but as he goes into his room, Zuko follows.

"Why don't you try giving me your introduction?" Zuko suggests innocently, as though he is not currently closing the door and rendering them completely alone with each other.

"Hm. What's my motivation?" Aang jokes.

"Maybe each time you get through a section of your speech I'll be convinced to reward you?" Zuko proposes.

"How would you do that?" Aang asks.

"I guess you'll have to find out, won't you?"

Aang starts his introduction. He has no notes, he just has remembered a few talking points, and wants the speech to sound natural. He makes sure to talk about everything he planned to mention. It is significantly more difficult, however, when Zuko walks further and further into his personal space until Aang finishes the first part of his speech. The second he pauses, Zuko's hands are on his face and they both lean in to kiss at the same time. The second that the kiss becomes open-mouthed and Aang is pulling their bodies closer together, Zuko bites Aang's bottom lip and then slowly pulls away.

"Next?" he prompts Aang, who laughs.

Aang delivers his entire speech this way, pausing to claim his rewards in between sections, and then he insists that Zuko do the same. It is time to leave when they are both through, and they find themselves extremely relaxed and ready to go. They pick up Sokka from the garden along the way. He does not look as calm as they feel, but he appears ready.

When they all get on stage, they can see the front row occupied by many of their friends. Katara, Hakoda and many of the members of the Southern and Northern Water Tribes have come in, along with Toph and a few of the best students from her school. Iroh is there as promised, as is the Earth King, and many of the other local leaders. Most of the Kyoshi warriors have joined the crowd, but Ty Lee is sitting away from them, with Mai and her family, including her father. Everyone looks extremely interested to hear what the Avatar and the Fire Lord have to say.

"What's my reward if I do the whole speech successfully in front of all these people?" Aang quickly whispers to Zuko, before they quiet down the crowd.

"I guess you'll just have to do that to find out," Zuko says mysteriously.

Sokka turns to them, having not been far enough away to miss overhearing. "I don't even want to know."


End file.
